Helpful Score: 3
This book was well written and easily understood. It deals with people needing medical/emotional care, and includes reasons why people don't want to go to assisted living facilities or nursing homes. It really helped me understand some unknown things to look for when I helped locate an assisted living apartment for a friend of mine who had dementia. I read it at the perfect time (for my friend), so it would be a good read for children with aging parents, and really, for everyone. It also deals with end of life decisions.
Helpful Score: 2
This book is incredible, a must read. It really shifted my thinking about illness and end of life decisions. I will never be the same. This book is a gift.
Helpful Score: 1
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Harvard professor and surgeon Atul Gawande takes on the conversation we so often avoid the one about choices at the end of life. Writing with knowledge and compassion, he takes on different aspects of end of life care - nursing homes, hospice care, the role of medicine, the role of family, and individual choice. The book presents research and history and grounds the ideas through case studies. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2014/12/being-mortal-medicine-and-what-matters.html
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2014/12/being-mortal-medicine-and-what-matters.html
Karen T. (knut) reviewed Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End on + 59 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This is another book club recommendation and I found it so pertinent to our times. The first chapters were (mistakenly) taken as a condemnation of the decision to place elderly parents in assisted living. Then the author gave a history of "nursing homes" and what end-of-life situations were before the growth of the assisted living possibility.I found it to be an affirmation that these difficult decisons we make for others are nothing new, but our options now are an improvement over 50 to 100 years ago. The final chapters were a guide (from his personal experience) to talking with family concerning end of life expectations.
I would not describe this as a fun read, but think it would be a benefit if a family member is brave enough approach the topic.
I would not describe this as a fun read, but think it would be a benefit if a family member is brave enough approach the topic.
Cheryl K. (dogluver) reviewed Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End on + 14 more book reviews
This is an informative, thought provoking, book that inspires us to do better for the elderly, frail, population. After all, we are all headed in the same direction in our lives. Very well written, a book everyone should read. 10 stars!
Rachel G. (roach808) -
I sure enjoyed the ways that Gawande made me think about aging and dying and how to have the hard conversations early. I think my daddio would appreciate this as a hospice chaplain.
Christine D. (christylisty) -
My own denial of death is quite strong, so reading this book was an exercise in pushing myself beyond my own inclinations. The most important thing I learned is that there are different approaches to nursing homes and society needs to pay closer attention to giving the aging some choice in the meagerness that can be old age.
